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The registry export / import batch scripts do not work when
moving from Windows 2000 to Windows XP.

Instead of using the registry to store current settings,
why not use one or more .ini files or human readable
settings text files?

The mail client Eudora does this and it is wonderful when
it comes to backing up current settings on the current machine
and transferring to a different machine.

This idea is not pattented since it is a widespread common
industry practice.

On startup, the program looks for the settings files path (set on the
host during install as an environment variable - as in
%textpat_settings_path%) and loads all program settings from there.

You start TextPad with the initial loaded settings. If you change
the program settings during the TextPad run, the .ini file(s) are
modified when the Apply (or OK) button is pressed.

If other users still want to use the registry to store their TextPad settings,
allow them to choose the settings container (.ini files or registry) at
some point during the TextPad installation process. Allow either registry
or .ini files as the settings container. The two are mutually exclusive.
This way, users do not lose the freedom to do things as they see fit.

This would help tremendously in moving Textpad from one host to another
with minimal effort. Great job on this editor so far!

Dragos

dtoader's suggestion should definitely be implemented. The Windows Registry is a horrible tangled mess that people have actually resigned themselves to using. Forget that! Use clear text .ini files.

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Brikface

I could not agree more. I'm having enough trouble as it is, maintaining two filesystems (disk AND registry).

I like programs to reside in a self-contained directory. With settings stored on the disk, Backing Up/Restoring/Deleting/Transferring them becomes a simple file operation involving the .ini file.

Instead of using a .txt or .ini file you might consider using an XML file for all the settings and configuration. I run TEXTPAD on several machines that I am admin for and a network located XML file of settings would be very handy.

XML is a good idea as it mirrors the n-tier hierarchical
structure of Textpad settings (as opposed to flat INI files
which are just a flat collection of variable value pairs)

Configure->Preferences in Textpad has categories on the left
and settings (data entry fields/checkboxes/other form elements etc)
on the right.

Document Classes expands out to multiple categories each of which
expands out to other categories and so on.

XML would be perfect in storing this hierarchy in a plain text file.

An additional feature I would suggest is an "XML Import" button
to import the Textpad XML config file (to overwrite default settings)
and an "XML export" button to export the current Textpad settings
to an XML config file.

Another feature would be a command line Textpad option to
load/import the XML config file passed in and another command
line Textpad option to export the current settings to a given
path/XML config file.